Read Online An Unexpected Gift by Katherine Grey - Free Book Online Page A

people?” She tried to keep control of her temper. “Who exactly are the wrong type of people? Are they those people who must earn their living through trade, those people who exist on the fringes of Polite Society like Lord Hargrove or Mr. Prescott? Or people like me whom all you great members of the Ton look at with pity and treat as one of your own but then gossip about as soon as we are out of sight?”
    “Don’t be ridiculous. That is not at all what I meant.” Lady Riverton stepped closer and asked in a concerned voice, “Are you suffering nightmares again? Is that what this is all about?”
    Olivia bit back the urge to scream in frustration. Amanda was a dear friend, but at times she was woefully self-absorbed. Hearing movement behind her, she spun around. “Do you always skulk about eavesdropping?”
    “May I help you with something?” Amanda smiled, ever the hostess.
    Lazarus gazed at Olivia for a long moment, then glanced at Lady Riverton. “I believe you already have.” He gave a slight nod of his head and climbed the stairs leading to the terrace.
    Olivia watched him until he was swallowed up by the teeming mass of people populating the ballroom. She didn’t understand what he meant by his strange remark. How had Amanda helped him?
    “Come inside. I believe you need a glass of sherry.” Her friend smiled and added in a laughing whisper, “I tell Riverton I use it for medicinal purposes only.”
    She sighed and followed the younger woman inside. She hadn’t the heart to fight or to inform her that she had never used sherry for medicinal purposes. Whiskey, yes. Even brandy once, but sherry, never.
    She’d no more than stepped through the French doors when the babble of numerous conversations rose and swelled. Telling herself she did not care if she was the subject of those conversations, she inhaled deeply. The smell of too many overheated and perfumed bodies assailed her senses, and she forced back a gag. Allowing Amanda to shepherd her through the crowd, she looked back over her shoulder and longed for the peace of the garden.
    Lazarus stood near the doors. He raised his glass of champagne in a silent salute. She quickly looked forward again.
    ****
    Will watched Olivia walk away. He’d ceased thinking of her as “Miss St. Germaine” since the night she’d come to his warehouse on the docks. The rather modest deep blue gown emphasized her figure. He forced his gaze upward away from her shapely hips. Her dark brown curls gleamed in the hundreds of candles in the chandeliers overhead. His fingers had itched to caress her hair much like the wind had done earlier when she first appeared on the terrace.
    Realizing he was staring, he turned and scanned the crowd. It wouldn’t do to become distracted. There was no sign of His Grace, the Duke of Sandhurst. Will pushed down the familiar wave of anger that always threatened to erupt at the mere mention of the man’s name.
    Perhaps an innocent question or two would lead to the duke’s whereabouts. It was a known fact that Sandhurst never declined an invitation from Lady Riverton. Her gatherings were full of the important people he would want to impress. It also allowed him to keep abreast of the latest gossip and scandal. And more importantly, made him privy to information to be used against his peers in due time.
    Will wandered around the perimeter of the room, searching for the man he suspected in his sister’s disappearance. He stopped by the table of refreshments and exchanged his empty champagne flute for a glass of punch. Under the guise of taking a sip of the liquid, he gazed out over the crush of guests. He grimaced at the awful taste and set the glass back on the table, wishing he’d brought along his flask of brandy.
    Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he caught the familiar figure of the duke. He turned quickly and plunged into the crowd, murmuring excuses as he passed. As he closed the distance between himself and his quarry, he